One Restaurant, Two Different Dining Experiences

I travel once a month for work to a small town where I stay for 3 nights. The town has limited restaurant options but enough to give me a variety of foods from which to choose. For this blog post, I want to highlight my experiences at a Tex Mex chain restaurant in particular. I’ve visited countless times and my overall experience has been great! That being said, I want to share two stories of how you can sometimes have completely different experiences at the same restaurant.

Situation #1: The First-Timer

The first time I travelled for work, I chose to eat here because I looked at the menu online and trusted the overall “vibe” I was getting in terms of allergen (peanut/tree nut) safety. What I mean by this is that I saw no peanuts on the menu and the only tree nuts were located in the salad section of the menu, which seems to be very normal these days. They also have a little blurb on the menu outlining their caution with food allergies and their ability to accommodate those living with food allergies. When I got to the restaurant, I let my server know about the severity of my food allergy. She assured me that the restaurant staff are very careful with food preparation in the back and that she would let everyone who handles the food know about my allergy. A few minutes later, the manager approached my table to inform me of their protocols. A specific chef was assigned to the preparation of my meal, sterilized utensils and pots/pans were to be used and they would do everything to ensure there was no risk of cross-contamination in the back. This sounded awesome! I was blown away by the awareness and the careful preparation that their restaurant protocol followed. I was served my meal and the wait staff followed up with me twice to ensure everything was going well, and I have to say, it definitely went well. I walked away feeling quite impressed with my new experience!

Situation #2: The Weird Vibe

The next month when I went back to this restaurant, I asked for the same menu item (steak fajitas-they are SO good!) and the restaurant staff followed the same protocol, with the manager approaching me before meal preparation. Where it got weird was when the manager followed up with my meal after I had taken a few bites. After asking how I was enjoying my meal, she said, “well, we haven’t killed you yet, so that’s a good sign!”

I’m a very easygoing person but for some reason this line irked me. It just didn’t sound right! It could be that the manager was feeling awkward about approaching me as the only person sitting at a table (I’ve noticed wait staff can be very awkward when I go to a restaurant alone, but what else can I do? I’m working!) It could also be that the manager just thought she needed to say something and didn’t filter herself before speaking. Whatever the case, I don’t think a line that includes “not killing” someone should ever be used, especially at a venue that serves food to someone with a life-threatening food allergy.

I’m not overreacting. I’m not even truly upset. I just wanted to share these stories to demonstrate how experiences can sometimes be amazing or weird at the same place for the same person. Weird vibes happen, but what I learned from these two visits is that as a person with food allergies, I should try to not let my guard down or become complacent just because I’ve had a good experience somewhere in the past. Diligence is my number one protector and as long as I am thorough in minimizing my risk, I can feel safe eating out and experiencing the wide world of eating while on the road!

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2 thoughts on “One Restaurant, Two Different Dining Experiences”

Thanks for the article. That’s creepy. People think it’s a joke. I was asked to speak at a gathering and had time on my hands, had a suit on with heels and went into a restaurant for lunch ( so I looked very business like). Due to my allergy of all capsicum, .i.e,(my throat closes immeditately) I asked for a plain omelette with tea, fruit with no extra spices and I had to pay first. I sat when a woman came over to me and said I had to leave, they didn’t want anyone with food allergies even in the restaurant. SInce I had paid, I wanted my money back and she refused. I refused to move without a refund and the owner came out yelling. The finally gave me a credit but it was for half. It was very embarrising and I did file complaints. Turns out we are protected, if you have been tested with the ADA but nothing could be done except they did have to answer a lot of letters. You can’t leave your guard down at all.

Thanks for sharing, Dylan. My son had a similar line said to him when he was 8. I know servers are simply attempting to make conversation and be “entertaining” but no matter it doesn’t sit right. My son deals with anxiety from his allergy and a line like that guarantees he is not going back.

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